Once a Pillar
by Maria - Madoka Ayukawa
Summary: Tezuka promised something to his former captain. And that vow still haunts him, years after... TezukaxFuji, with some bits of Yamato. Spoilers for the whole anime series.


_**"Once a Pillar"**_  
A Prince of Tennis fanfic by Maria. 

Characters: Kunimitsu Tezuka, Yamato Yuudai, Syuusuke Fuji. Allusions to Shuuichirou Oishi and Ryoma Echizen.  
Pairings: Tezuka/Fuji. Also has Yamato/Tezuka friendship.  
30 Romances themes: #16 (Crème de la crème; On top) #25. (Maillot; paradox)  
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis ain't mine. It belongs to Konomi Takeshi and Shueisha!  
Rating: PG-13 for light shonen-ai.  
Summary: Tezuka promised something to his ex-captain. And that vow still haunts him, years after... Spoilers for the whole anime series.

---

_Three years ago._

Kunimitsu Tezuka was more calm after spending quite a while being frustrated, hurt and pissed off. No, things weren't supposed to be like that. He wasn't supposed to get his secret blown in such a way...

Back in those moments, Tezuka had just wanted to be respectful to his sempais, so he hid the fact that he was left-handed and could play with both hands. He didn't want to show off, nor to humiliate his sempais. However, his cover was blown... and in his very face. Badly enough to have one of the sempais grabbing a racket and violently hitting him on his elbow.

He even thought (and said out loud) that he didn't want to be in the tennis club anymore. Why should he stay, anyway? It had no place for his idealistic view of the world, where everyone should have honor and hold onto their word. He was sorry for the other first-years in the club, yeah, and specially for Oishi, but he wouldn't play along with the idea of serving as a sort of puppet or a laughing stock.

_Become the pillar of Seigaku, Tezuka._

However, someone managed to turn the tables on him. Yamato-buchou... a tall youth with tousled black hair, sunglasses and an enigmatic smile. After hearing his complains, reminding him that Oishi also was willing to leave (therefore, he'd lose the chance to be in the Nationals because of Tezuka) and giving him some words of advice... the captain of the Seigaku tennis team made him an offer that he simply could not refuse.

Sure, he wanted things to change? He wouldn't make it if he just sat down to whine. He wanted Seigaku to go to the Nationals? He should start working on it right then. And the first step was... to become strong and reliable. Tezuka already had the respect from the other first years, specially from Oishi and the unpredictable Syuusuke Fuji (he was the one who came up with the idea of having the first-years help Tezuka with the cleaning whenever he was appointed with it... even risking punishment from the sempais), so it shouldn't be completely impossible...

_Be a source of strength, Tezuka..._

In the darkness of his bedroom, Tezuka sat up on his bed and sighed deeply.

"I will. I will carry on everyone's dream, Yamato-buchou".

---

_Two years ago._

Since Yamato's junior high graduation, Tezuka e-mailed him in a weekly basis. No matter how many tests he had at school or how hard the tennis training was, he'd always find the time to tell his ex-captain about his improvement. At times he wrote only some short phrases, at others (specially if he was coming out out of Literature class) he'd add some more details.

Yamato replied as punctually as Tezuka, doing likewise in regards to his own life and his development as a player. He rarely mentioned the promise, though; sometimes Tezuka wondered if he had forgotten the words said a year ago, but then he answered to himself that his ex-captain had assumed there's no need to remind him. In a sense, that was true: he and his teammates (even the two feisty newcomers, Momoshiro alias Momo and Kaidoh) would be the best.

So, few days before the Senbatsu Camp, when he was checking his e-mails... Tezuka was shocked as he revised the one coming from Yamato.

_Tezuka, _the older youth asked in his mail, _I'm not doubting how serious you are... but at times, I wonder if I gave you a burden that's too heavy for you in the current moment..._

Why would Yamato wonder such a thing? Tezuka had no problem with responsability. He liked taking charge, taking care of others, and directing the current action. Those are things that he must do, as the Pillar of Seigaku... so, in a sense, they come naturally for him.

That same day, during practice, Oishi had asked Tezuka if he was okay, and he had said yes. It wasn't entirely true; at times, the pain in his shoulder was rising in intensity, and both the doctor and Ryuuzaki-sensei were worried about it. His assistance to the future Junior Senbatsu camp was pretty much in risk...

But Tezuka was determined to fight on. So, he started typing his reply.

_Yamato-buchou... I'll be okay. I know and understand your reasoning, but I don't think I can back off. My dream isn't too far from me... same goes to the dreams of my peers._

_I'm not doing this to hurt myself. It'd cause me even more pain to give up. I would be betraying myself if I ever did. So, thanks for your concern, but the promise will stand still..._

"Kunimitsu," a sweet voice called. "You have a phone call from Fuji-kun!"

"I'm going, mother," Tezuka replied. He then typed some more formal phrases to say goodbye adequately, and hit "send".

---

_Last year._

Tezuka was still in the Seigaku grounds. In the first weeks he was mostly a spectator, someone who watched over the new and old members of the team and gave them the basics they needed to go on with practice. Lately, however, after observing the members of the Seigaku team...

Of course he knew beforehand that Ryoma Echizen would join them. Ryuuzaki-sensei had mentioned that some days before Echizen himself showed up at the school. Tezuka had seen him practice, had observed him closely during those sessions, and in the match against Fudomine he could catch more than a glimpse of his talent.

Tezuka also knew that it's his last year in Seigaku Junior High. He was not sure if he'd join the associated high school since he had gotten several offers from other schools, and many of them were very tempting. That was the last year he'd have to carry on the vow to be the Pillar, and he needed to find someone else who can carry on the legacy of Seishun Gakuen.

Ryoma seemed to be the perfect one. He has all the potental to be a leader and the one the tennis team can rely on. However, the diamond is flawed... since Ryoma had no style of his very own. Being raised by one of the best Japanese tennis players ever took its toll, since Ryoma seemed to be destined to become a clone of Nanjiroh Echizen. And Tezuka wouldn't not let it happen.

He was the current Pillar. Just like Yamato was once. And Ryoma would become the next one. But now...

"Tezuka!".

The ball hits the wall, and Tezuka turned. "Fuji?"

"Gotcha. Training still?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Sounded like a 'thanks for stating the obvious', eh?".

"Sorry, then."

"Take it easy, Tezuka. Not like I'm scolding you or anything. I was finishing an essay in the library, and since you were here I dropped by to say hello...".

"Whatever suits you, then. But I'm done already."

"So, would you mind relaxing a little, eh? And yes, I make it sound so dirty and I know it."

"Fuji...!"

"Pffft, I'm joking, Tezuka. No need to blush. But I mean the relaxing bit. You'll need it before we face our next matches."

"Well...".

Few minutes later, Tezuka left the Seigaku grounds... with Fuji by his side.

---

_Today_.

"I see, I won't be able to practice for some days... even then, I'll help Tamaki and Momoi-sensei from the bench. Thank you a lot... and yes, I'll take care of it. See you later, Nishimoto-sensei."

Rubbing his bandaged wrist, Yamato smiles at the school nurse and gets ready to leave his high school's infirmary. But the door is open already, and a tall young man is coming in.

"Ah, Tezuka!" Yamato says cheerfully. "Did I worry the team too much when I sprained my wrist during practice?"

"Enough to have Momoi-sensei sending me to check on you, Yamato-buchou."

"Okay. Shouldn't you call me Yamato-fukubuchou, though? Because the captain is my classmate Soushi Tamaki and not me, heh."

"Sorry about that."

Tezuka's voice sounds normal, but there's a slight blush spread over his cheeks.

"Well... let's go back and tell him that there's no need to worry about it, then, Tezuka."

"Okay."

Tezuka politely bows at the nurse, and both men leave the Sakurada High School infirmary. Sakurada is a very prestigious all-boys school with an excellent tennis team, but it also has a good focus on arts and World History; so, Tezuka finally chose to attend classes there. And another reason was the presence of someone from his past there... Yamato Yuudai, the vice-captain of the tennis team.

Now, both men walk down the halls of Sakurada, going towards the courts. Yamato looks far more relaxed than you'd expect from someone who had sprained his wrist in the middle of the tennis practice, slightly tilting his head back as he walks. Tezuka, on the other hand, looks worried.

"Something wrong?"

"Ah, no, don't worry, Yamato-fukubuchou," Tezuka replies. "You should worry more..."

"It's sprained, not broken, Tezuka. And I'll be back to practice soon. So, it's useless to worry..."

Yamato suddenly stops, Tezuka does likewise and stares at him. He suddenly has a feeling of deja-vu; this situation isn't fully new...

"Though it seems that worrying and taking responsabilities are still among your specialities, Tezuka. You haven't changed a lot in these years."

Those words confirm what Tezuka was thinking. So, he opens his mouth to reply, but Yamato is again quicker than him.

"I can understand your reasons, but you should also learn to let go. Not being able to do so almost destroyed you, in a sense, last year."

"I know," Tezuka says it in a tone somewhat harsher than intended. "I've had enough time to think of it, Yamato-fukubuchou."

"Maybe it hasn't fully worked, then." Yamato speaks in a quite kind and calm tone, but Tezuka senses that he's doing so as a way to subtly punish him for his last phrases. "Echizen-kun has evolved as a player thanks to you, and he'll do great in the USA. Momoshiro-kun and Kaidoh-kun are working surprisingly well as captain and sub-captain of Seigaku, and they'll be taking the team to the Nationals soon. And while some of your ex-teammates aren't into tennis as much as they used to, they do remember you fondly. Now".

"... What do you mean...?"

"Tezuka", Yamato says, his smile and gentle voice still untouched, "it seems you can't fully let go of the promise, eh?"

After all of those years, Yamato had not forgotten what he asked Tezuka for, when he was a freshman in Seigaku. But now that he mentioned it directly... it felt odd. And even more strange with the added bonus of the deja-vu.

"How does it feel to be a freshman again, eh?" Again, Yamato is speaking calmly, smile still in his lips.

Tezuka doesn't hesitate to reply. "It feels strange, not to currently have that weight you once talked about on my shoulders."

"Thought so. Once a pillar, always a pillar. Should've figured that out when you told me you were accepted here, anyway..."

Yamato laughs out loud when he finishes his line. Tezuka slightly lifts an eyebrow at this. Is his captain paying really attention to such an important issue? And why did he have to use a phrase similar to what he told Echizen himself just before he went back to the USA?

"Oh, sorry. That laugh was mostly directed at myself," Yamato apologizes as soon as he can talk. "But as I've told you, it's okay...".

They're suddenly interrupted when someone passes by them running and touches Tezuka on the shoulder. He turns and sees Fuji, who has his digital camera in his other hand; the blue-eyed student winks at Tezuka, then waves his free hand at Yamato as a greeting and keeps on running, surely towards the room where the boys of the photography club meet every afternoon.

Tezuka stares at Fuji's retreating back, then turns back to Yamato. And the older youth notices that Tezuka is blushing again.

"I don't think I have much to tell you, then. Seems that, from now on, someone else will remind you to stop when the world's too hectic," Yamato says. He's now grinning, and Tezuka pretends to ignore this as they start walking again towards the courts.

The promise was fulfilled. Other people would carry on the Seigaku legacy. But as Yamato just said... _once a pillar, always a pillar._ Whether it's a curse or a blessing, it depends on his view of life itself...

And with Fuji, Yamato and the others helping him, Tezuka's life would go on.


End file.
